


Mechanics

by puppyfacedbrokenboys



Series: Tumblr Ficlets [36]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Childhood Friends, First Meetings, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-11
Updated: 2016-11-11
Packaged: 2018-08-30 10:39:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8529886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/puppyfacedbrokenboys/pseuds/puppyfacedbrokenboys
Summary: With no way of knowing whom she belonged to, Rey was grouped with the others that were considered not Royal, and therefore lower and unworthy. Unworthy to be a pilot, in particular.Prince Finn has made a vow to change this, and a Poe in need gives him the opportunity to help Rey.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DarkAliceLilith](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkAliceLilith/gifts).



> The title sucks. But here's my take on a jedistormpilot childhood friends au with a dash of royal au.

“That’s one helluva pilot,” Finn announced, dropping down beside Rey on the sand. He accidentally bumped her arm in an effort to remove the chest plate of his Royal Stormtrooper uniform — a junior one, specifically — but Rey, engrossed in fiddling with her Speeder, paid him no mind. It happened so frequently it was the norm.

But Finn’s tone of awe pulled Rey back to reality and she smiled up at the sky in awe herself as she watched Poe Dameron, son of two of the top Resistance fighters and best junior pilot in his own right, zoom through the air as he did nearly every day. It always took her breath away.

“That should be you, you know.” Finn nudged her shoulder with his own. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him rest the chest plate by his helmet and lean back on the sand. This statement also was not new.

Rey sighed. “Doesn’t change the fact that I'm—”

Finn scoffed, cutting her off. “You’re an orphan, Rey. You could be Royal blood and not even know it.”

Rey pulled a face, ducking her head down as she tightened a bolt on the Speeder. “Tell them that,” she stressed under her breath. Rey could feel the constant thread of anger being pulled, once again, and in an effort to keep it from unraveling further she tossed the wrench in her tiny tool box and laid down beside Finn.

Finn gave her a look of sympathy that made her insides squirm. But the arm he curled around hers was enough to keep her together.

* * *

If one asked Finn what he hated the most, he’d tell you it was seeing his friends sad. If you asked him what else it was he hated, he’d tell you it was the damn caste system. And unfortunately for him, the two collided way more frequently than he’d like.

Finn was a prince, the Royal heir to the throne once his mother either passed or decided to step down. Until then, he’d fight in the Royal Guard, as he had been training from the moment he could walk. 

It was what was and nothing could change that. 

That was, until he was king. 

He made it his vow to change the caste system to allow anyone to carve their own path, no matter whose blood happened to run through their veins. And the idea started to manifest the day he met his best friend Rey.

Being an orphan, she was denied the jobs and opportunities that were designated Royal. With no way of knowing whom she belonged to, Rey was grouped with the others that were considered not Royal, and therefore lower and unworthy. 

Unworthy to be a pilot, in particular.

Finn hated seeing his friend’s eyes light up when she saw the other pilots race through the sky, only to be dimmed when she remembered her place. A measly low-born mechanic. Finn was always in awe of her skills, but in their society it wasn’t seen as worthy, and therefore Rey resented her skills.

Finn wanted his friend to not only be happy, but to be revered as special as she already was by not only the entire kingdom but by Rey herself. She was amazing and she deserved to feel it, too.

But that had to wait a couple of years until he was able, as his mother had denied his request time and again. Such as just now, as Finn stomped his way through the Royal hangar.

“Look out!” was called from above, causing Finn to not only break out of his stupor but to lunge to the left on instinct as something large and metal crashed down mere inches from where he had been walking.

Finn, breathing hard, looked up from his spot on the ground to see a curly head of hair poke out from the open panel of the X-wing. “Dammit, Dameron. You could’ve killed someone!” Finn flipped up to his feet, much easier to do without his plastic Trooper uniform. “That person being _me_ , inevitably sentencing yourself to _death_ for killing the Royal heir—”

“I yelled ‘look out’. It’s not _my_ fault you decided to walk _directly_ under a ship.” Poe, exasperated, jumped down from his ship with the agility of a cat. “So I think it’d be best not to report this, if only to save yourself the embarrassment.” He smirked and Finn was no match against his pearly whites.

“I hate you,” Finn replied after taking a deep breath, no venom in his voice. He pressed a hand to his chest, willing his heart to slow. “Why did you — or should I say, _your ship_ — almost kill me?”

“Aside from the fact it apparently doesn’t like you?” Poe questioned, the smart-ass, and Finn lightly punched his shoulder. After Poe stopped laughing, he went on to explain a bunch of mumbo jumbo that Finn didn’t even try to understand.

“So, basically, you’re telling me your ship hates you so much it tore itself apart.”

“Ha. Ha,” Poe shot back. “No, I’m saying that these mechanic droids are pieces of shit and BB-8 isn’t upgraded enough…”

Finn’s brain flashed at that moment. It was so obvious, why haven’t he immediately thought of it.

“Rey,” he almost shouted, causing Poe to pause in his ranting.

“ _Who_?”

Finn grabbed his arm. “I’ll explain on the way, just come with me.”

* * *

“ _No_.”

Finn’s eyes widened so much Poe feared they were going to fall out of his skull. Poe’s gaze swung over to the girl, taking in her absolute look of determination — a long departure from the absolute shock that shone in her eyes at Poe’s arrival by Finn’s side. To the untrained eye she looked skinny, but Poe could see the strength in her limbs from, he assumed, carrying heavy pieces of metal and trading it for food, as many of the low-born have to do. He could tell the grease streaks from the dust on her clothes. There were lines around her eyes from being out in the blaring sun and having to wear goggles hanging from her belt to protect them from the unforgiving sand.

She didn’t look like much, but Poe was never one to judge. If Finn said she was the best mechanic he knew, well Finn had never given him a reason to doubt him.

“Rey, _c’mon_ ,” Finn pleaded, rounding the Speeder that she had quickly turned back to. “This is what you’ve been—”

“I said no,” Rey deadpanned without looking up. Poe took a few steps to his right and behind her, watching as her spider-like fingers worked their magic. He wondered what was wrong with it, but watching her was mesmerizing.

“Finn, here, tells me you’re the best mechanic he knows,” Poe noted. He bent down a safe distance back from her to better see what she was doing. “This is a fine Speeder. You built it yourself?”

Rey paused in her movement and turned her face to look at him. She must have forgot herself, as she was smiling when her gaze met his with an almost eager look on her face. Poe figured she never had the chance to talk mechanics much; she wouldn’t waste an opportunity. She started in on a spiel about finding an old manual, and then finding the parts, when suddenly she realized who she was taking to.

“I see what you’re trying to do,” she declared with a huff. She turned back to her Speeder. “You’re trying to make me trust you in the off-chance that if I get comfortable I’d agree. But the answer is no. I’m _not_ running the risk of—”

“You won’t get caught,” Finn assured. He placed a hand on her shoulder and even though Poe could tell she was fuming, she allowed it.

“And, if you do this,” Poe began, voice lowering as he leaned forward in his crouched position. “I will let you pilot my X-wing. Any night you want. I’ll show you all I know.” 

Rey didn’t look at him, so he pressed on. “All the food you want, on me. And I’ll even pay for parts for your Speeder or any others if you want.” He smiled at her when he saw her face turn almost imperceptibly. “Plus, and here’s the real prize, you’ll to hang out with the one and only me.”

Rey’s nose scrunched up a bit at that. But Poe could see the hunger in her eyes. She wanted this more than anything. It was the same look in his eyes every time he looked at his X-wing. And after a moment, Rey dropped the screwdriver in her hand. “Okay, fine. Show me this beauty of yours. You’re obviously _not_ worthy of her.”

Poe and Finn exchanged high fives behind her as she stood up and strode the way they came. There was a fire radiating out of her, and Poe could tell this was the start of a beautiful, long friendship with the three of them.  



End file.
